They're keepers with beautiful triggers. HW95 would be my choice.... but any of them (77, 80...) you'd love. Excellent rifles!

I suggest you go into a store and try some. Different models will be different sizes and depending on your stature and needs this may be important. A 110cm rifle is good for portability but if you want something more powerful this will typically be 120cm.

PCP will not be an option anyway. I am assuming by your post you do not have an FAL?

I recommend gas over spring.

A powerful rifle like a Gamo Swarm (or any of their Mach 1 models) offers great performance rivaling PCP but take more effort to cock.

At 40-50 yards a 3-9x40 AO optic is a good choice. Any further and you will likely want to get something better.

Also allow in your budget other necessary items - a pair of ear muffs if you don't have them. I suggest level 4 max because level 5 are a bit fat. And a gun bag because you will want to take it places and you need to keep it packed in transit. Some gun stores even require it packed when you bring it in.

Are you Brian on FB airgun group by any chance? Yes HW and Air Arms hold their value well.

There's also an HW77 in .22 with scope for $850 on TradeMe. Notoriously accurate as well. The 97K was the newer version of HW underlever.

Thanks for the tip on the nikko scope, this looks really good + mount.

Also getting closer to a decision on the air rifle, though I need a little more help.....

It is between an RWS 34 premium, Diana 340 n- tec or spend the extra money and get a Weihrauch HW80. The deciding factor will be which rifle I can make quietest for not much I.e less that $100. So looking at a slide on suppressor or a cheap thread on job and how much I want the quality (HW80).

At the moment, from research, the RWS 34P comes out of the box the quietest.

If anyone can shed some experience on this scenario I'd appreciate it. 

p.s accuracy over velocity, got that one dialed in.(power is still important though ae!)

 cheers mike

Regarding scopes, if you can get a package deal with a Hawke that would be good. They are air rifle rated with a good warranty (if buying new). Im not sure where you would eve get a leapers these days?